Chapter 2 of stars of light (revised) by Adrienne Homepage at http://members.tripod.com/~Elsha/index.html Any comments, ideas or suggestions are welcome so E-mail me! Chapter 2 "AHHH!!" Sailormoon screamed as she watched the hurtling ball come towards her. She readied herself to jump out of the way, crouching Sailormoon prepared to spring herself away from the eminent danger. Suddenly however strong arms grasped and lifted her up. "Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Sailormoon adoringly said as hearts entered her eyes, momentarily forgetting about the danger the other senshi were in. Tuxedo Kamen landed quietly and gracefully on the ground releasing Sailormoon. Kelsara stopped laughing and turned towards the Outer senshi. How dare they defy her! she thought. Kelsara watched the four attempt yet again to attack her, this time however she absorbed the energy and threw it back. The Outer senshi tried to get out of the way but weren't quick enough and they fell to the ground. She blasted the senshi again with her own power showing no mercy. She laughed in exultation as she saw the four fall down but gasped slightly. Kelsara's face turned a slight greenish hue as she clutched her chest breathing uneasily. Absorbing energy was easy but the fact was it still hit you no matter what and containing all that energy and shooting it out was put at best painful. "Flame Sniper!" Mars cried out jumping from behind Kelsara who was caught unawares. For Kelsara hate filled eyes had been preoccupied following a couple. They had caught the corner of her eyes while she had been regaining her breath. She presumed that they were going to attack but instead they caressed each other with love and devoted eyes. To show such love in front of her sickened her to the depths of her soul, in fact it made her want to puke. What did the girl have that she didn't? What gave her the right to be loved so much? she thought bitterly. Her eyes burnt a deep red and she screamed as a red arrow of energy pierced her chest. Kelsara whirled around in anger and hurt. "You Fucking Bitch!" Kelsara screamed as she brought up a hand and a ball of energy formed. Her hair swirled around her as she blasted it at Sailor Mars who failed to run away in time. Being hit by the energy ball, Sailor Mars crashed against the side of a car. Glass sprayed everywhere as she gasped, blood dripped out of her mouth. Groaning she attempted to get up and tell the others she sensed there was something not quite right. Sailormars had sensed some power rift giving the girl her energy and possibly brainwashing the girl. Sailormars tried to break the connection she saw with her senses and now it was too late. Her lungs were filled with her own blood and she choked and coughed it out. She had failed and that was her last thought as she fell into the black abyss of unconsciousness and she welcomed it. Sailor Jupiter saw Sailor Mars fall down and shook herself from the dumb stupor she experienced as she saw the Outer Senshi so easily defeated Jupiter blew up in rage. "Damn you!" Sailor Jupiter screamed as she ran straight for Kelsara. Sailor Venus, Mercury saw this and joined in. "Aqua Rhapsody!" Mercury cried out drawing large tendrils of water which formed a sparkling harp that she played, water darts shooting out. "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" Venus said smiling in confidence as she shot golden hearts towards Kelsara. Jupiter however took the more physical approach and began punching Kelsara and karate kicking her. Jupiter jumped out of the way as Mercury and Venus's attack. Kelsara was hit she was greatly weakened by the Outer Senshi an after attack was not what she had planned for. There was simply too many of them she analyzed the situation as she lashed out at Jupiter knocking the senshi on the ground and hearing a satisfying crack. The inner senshi were not as strong as the first four but they were an ingenious team. She turned as she heard a voice yell "Moon therapy Kiss!" Kelsara involuntarily screamed as the blast of raw power burned a hole through her chest. For a moment Kelsara could smell her own burnt flesh and the stench her blood cooked. She screamed again at the horror around her and plummeted to the ground writhing in agony. Sailormoon gasped and gained a green pallor as she gazed at the twisted form of her previous enemy. She gazed into the whole that was incinerated through the girl's chest and the pain and cuts that were scored all over the charred body. Sailormoon turned away and began to vomit. Tuxedo Kamen held her and gently wiped the blood of the enemy that was splattered all over her. Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Sailormoon and Tuxedo Kamen collected their friends who had detransformed in their battered state. They rushed the wounded senshi to the Hospital and they were immediately admitted to the emergency room. They all filed out after Mamoru had filled in the forms, and Makoto's arm had been seen to. As much as they longed to stay to make sure everything went okay they needed to find someone to tell them what the hell was going on. The place where they went to was obvious to all of them no words needed to be discussed. Usagi's house was but a couple of blocks away and in her room, they met up with Luna and demanded explanations. * * * * "A Conduit?" repeated Ami as everyone looked at each other troubled. Usagi was being held by Mamoru. She looked up upon hearing this new information. "So what your saying is that the enemy was human?" shakily she got up. "Luna I am not supposed to kill humans! I'm supposed to protect them. The only thing I should be fighting are Youmas and bad aliens!" She hysterically said. Her faced paled even more the blood streaks highlighted on her face. "What's the difference?" Luna asked. "Don't you see? I've never killed a human before and now you tell me the person I fought wasn't even evil in the first place but a master's toy! We could have saved that girl! We could have saved her?." Usagi's voice trailed off her eyes glazed over as tears streaked her blood stained face. "No!" She cried inanely rushing out and slammed the door behind her. "Shit! Should we go after her?" Makoto spoke to Luna as she slammed her good fist on the table in frustration. "No, let her go she needs some time alone," Luna said and began to prowl around. "Usagi's wrong, a person has to be pretty evil to be controlled by an evil entity." "But Luna if a person is bad that doesn't mean they can't turn a new leaf. There is no such thing as beyond redemption. How can you judge someone without ever knowing them?" Argued Mina. "Mina is right and so is Usagi, we must find another way to deal with these new enemies. Everyone has a seed of evil in their hearts you can't say that everybody is all good. I'll see what I can do to find another method," Ami said encouragingly to Makoto, Mina, Luna, and the brooding Mamoru. She brought out her mini computer and began typing rapidly. "You can try to find a way to save those peoples life but what happens if you get killed in the process?" Luna asked scornfully. "That's cold Luna," Makoto said in a voice that said 'I thought better of you'. "No it's not it is for the greater good," sighed Luna. "You are the sailor senshi and are responsible for taking care of the world. What you do just doesn't effect you but billions of people that depend on you." "That's sick, if we were that way we'd be no better than the enemy, all the sacrifices and the pain we have suffered would all be for nothing," Makoto gritted out shaking her head. Makoto stood up and walked out of the her hand fingering the white cast that encased her broken arm. "Well I think I will go check on the others to see how they're doing," Ami said looking strangely at Luna and walked out. "Me too," said Mina barely glancing at Luna. "I have to pick Artemis first I think he would like to be briefed on this meeting," Mina quietly added. Mamoru sat silent contemplating on the events that had occurred. Luna had never said anything so brutally to the point and put it out so unemotionally that it sounded almost sadistic. "What has happened Luna?" asked Mamoru looking at the cat who looked as if she would cry. "Haven't you realized yet Mamoru?" Luna said as she jumped on the windowsill and turned to face him. "the future has changed these new enemies were never mentioned on to us because we have never fought them before or in the future that was to be. Crystal Tokyo no longer exists and the peace we should have had then may never be?. Luna jumped out and landed on the pavement. Without a backward glance she ran on as fast as she could shaking and shivering chilled to her soul though the day was warm. * * * * Usagi ran to the only place that she knew would be normal and promised to hold no Senshi business. She walked up the steps and rang the doorbell. A girl with Orange brown hair opened the door and gasped as she saw Usagi. "Naru-chan?" Usagi began but started to cry and was hugged by her best friend. "Usagi! What happened to you?" Naru asked taking in the sight of her best friend's blood streaked face, sad tearing blue eyes, and shredded ripped clothing. "I have a lot to tell you, do you think I could sleep over?" Usagi asked hopefully. Immediately Naru nodded directing Usagi to the bathroom ordering her to take a bath. Usagi gratefully went in and soaked in the tub for a hour and a few minutes she came out drying her hair. "So what is it that you wanted to tell me about Usagi?" asked Naru. "Well it's like this I'm Sailormoon?" blurted Usagi as she looked all over the place. "Usagi are you okay?" Naru said putting her hand to her forehead. "Yeah? here I'll show you," Usagi said wearily pulling out her brooch and yelled "Moon Eternal Make up!" Usagi transformed in front of Naru despair etched in her face. "Usagi?" Naru began with a shock and pain filled face. "Why didn't you tell me about this before? I mean we are best friends, why couldn't confide in me?" "Naru-chan it was a secret and if I would have put in danger other people as well" Usagi explained as she sat down across from Naru and detransformed. "The reason I am telling you this now is because I have no one to turn to. I am as good as alone even with the other senshi. I fear if I tell them my feelings of how helpless I feel when confronted with the enemy so overwhelmingly powerful, that they would lose faith in me or think I was just being a whiner and a baby. I have no will to continue this fight with evil now that we are fighting humans and not Youmas. Mamo-chan is supposed to be my boyfriend but he doesn't seem to care for me at all though my heart and thoughts are always filled of him...Everything seems to be going wrong.." Usagi broke off crying clutching one of Naru's pillow as sobs wracked her body. Naru went and hugged Usagi. "I understand, I'm glad though that you decided to tell me. Things will turn out better you just need a good night's sleep," Naru said and they both jumped in Narus' bed and lay still. "Naru," Usagi said. "Yes?" Naru mumbled as she got comfortable holding a pillow and yawning. "Thanks for Understanding," Usagi told her. Naru felt a sudden happiness and closeness towards Usagi. Even though Usagi belonged to a close knit group they were still close and Naru was happy that they were still best friends. * * * * In the morning however Naru cursed the day she had ever become friends with Usagi. She was bruised and got only an hour of sleep when Usagi started kicking and hitting her as though she were a bean bag. Usagi had also taken up the whole bed so Naru was pushed into the corner. "Next time I am not being lazy and will tow up a mattress and tell Usagi to sleep on the floor!" Naru said aloud to herself she went downstairs and left some clothes for Usagi to borrow and told her mom that her friend had slept over and asked if she could stay a few more days. Usagi made her way downstairs driven by the scent of food and her mouth watered as she walked zombie like. Naru's mom left early for work and the two girls had breakfast and chatted about people from their school they had seen and laughed. Soon they would be going back to school because the holidays were almost over. "Usagi, do you want to go to visit your friends?" Naru asked. Usagi nodded and they both cleaned the dishes. They both stopped over at Usagi's house to grab some of her stuff so that she could bring it to Naru's house. Ikuko agreed to let Usagi stay at Naru's and told her there had been several calls from her friends and she didn't acknowledge hearing anything. She figured that if it had been an emergency they would have beeped her on her wrist watch. The girls made their way to the hospital and asked where Usagi's friends were and they made their way to the room. Usagi gasped and clutched her friends arm as she saw her friends all bandaged up. Ami, Makoto, and Venus who had been sitting beside stood up and went to hug Usagi. " Where have you been?" They all asked at the same time. " I stayed at Naru's house I needed a break for awhile. Sorry I didn't phone but I only found out about the messages recently this morning," Usagi answered. "Where's Luna and Artemis?" asked Usagi suddenly noticing their absence. "They're arguing about what we should do. Ami has come up with a plan to fight the enemy without killing the possessed human. Luna thinks it's too risky since it was hard enough to fight the first enemy and our numbers have decreased," Mina said realizing that Naru knew about their identity and not really caring. Naru sighed and was relieved they had accepted her. Usagi made her way to gaze at the bodies of her friends. A tear slid down her cheek as she knelt in front of the beds. "Please get better," Usagi whispered touching the edge of one of the beds. The others fell into a complete silence watching. "Usagi.." They all whispered each turning away so as to hide their own tears. " Transform Everyone!" Luna and Artemis ran into the room. "Tuxedo Kamen is in trouble we have to hurry, everybody follow us!" They yelled as everyone transformed and followed them. Usagi looked at Naru and told her to stay and to be careful. As they ran mercury informed her of the plan. Using a ray from Ami's mini computer they hoped it would severe the link the enemy had on the controlled person. Usagi nodded and as they arrived Usagi could see a figure dodging and throwing roses at the monster. Using his cane the figure defended himself from deadly daggers that the villain threw at him. Alex laughed as he drew out a sword and fought the man in the tuxedo. This person probably thought he was the shit. This Tuxedo guy didn't know anything. Alex saw an opening and slashed at the guy's open side. Tuxedo Kamen threw back his head and cried in pain. Alex eyes took on a glaze of blood list and he thrust his sword into Tuxedo Kamen's chest. The light flickered out of Mamoru's eyes as blood spilled out of his mouth and he clutched the sword that was embedded in his chest. Surprised and shocked yet happy that he would have to fight no more, his only sadness was he would miss his beloved, he closed his eyes...finally. "MAMO-CHAN NO!" Usagi screamed as she saw this and they all stopped shocked. The burn of reality hit them all hard. Usagi's hope, her love, her heart eternally destroyed....